New Sensations
by gamgamgirl
Summary: When Jubilee returns to the X-Men after graduation, she's shocked to find Iceman so cold.***FINISHED***
1. Default Chapter

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, places, or things mentioned in this story and I'm not trying to make money off of them. So please don't sue. Thanks. **

This story takes place, for the most part, in the normal universe but I've taken some liberties with the timeline.

This is my first fanfic. Comments and criticisms are welcome. Please be kind. Enjoy.

* * *

_The car's slowing down. We must be close. _As she opened her eyes, Jubilee realized that they were not only nearing their destination, they had reached it. She looked out the window and saw the familiar brick wall that surrounded the Westchester school. In another minute, the front gate would come into view. There were patches of graffiti along the wall, some were old, many were new, but they all had the same anti-mutant theme. She turned her head away and looked out the front. She could tell that the cabbie had noticed the graffiti as well and was darting questioning glances at her through the rear view mirror. Unfortunately, or fortunately, for him, she wasn't planning on satisfying his curiosity. 

Not for the first time since leaving Los Angeles did she wonder if she was up to the task that she had committed herself to. She had been a lot more confident of herself when she'd talked to Scott a month ago. He had come down to LA with Emma and Wolverine for her high school graduation. She hadn't been expecting anyone to come but Emma had surprised her by insisting that she did not want to miss the greatest accomplishment her former pupil would probably ever achieve in her life. Jubilee supposed that Emma had meant that to be a compliment. Scott had decided to tag along and, while it was strange to see him with Emma, she was happy that he had come. He and Jean had always done their best to create a familial environment for her when she'd lived at the mansion. And, as usual, Wolverine had appeared from nowhere minutes before the ceremony began.

They'd gone out for lunch afterwards and everyone had been curious about her plans for the future. When she'd told them that she wasn't interested in college at this point, nor did she feel ready to join any spandex clad teams, Scott had suggested that she could come to the school and work as a mentor for the students in the same way that she had in her high school in LA.

That had sounded like a great idea to her a month ago but as she looked back out at the writings on the wall she felt her reservations rise up. _Of course I liked mentoring in high school. Hearing about and dealing with normal kids' problems was a piece of cake compared to what I've faced. But how do I plan on helping other mutants? I'm still figuring out how to deal with the world myself! And what about the kids who can't hide what they are? They'll think that I'm just a poser. And maybe they'll be right! Ugh! _Jubilee fiercely shook her head as if to force the thoughts out. It only succeeded in earning her a more worried look from the driver. She could almost hear him breathe a sigh of relief as they stopped in front of the gate.

* * *

Her first thought as she stepped into the foyer of the mansion and looked around was that Scott had lied to her. It wasn't a school they were running here. It was a zoo. There were mutants everywhere, crawling on the floor, hovering in the air, dangling from the banisters, teleporting between floors, running past her, running through her? _Oof. That was kinda gross and unsettling. _But it also jarred her out of the shock of her surroundings. She didn't recognize anyone so she headed straight for the headmaster's office. _But not until I take a detour to the kitchen 'cause I am seriously starving. _

The kitchen, or rather, the canteen, as it had been newly transformed into, was no less astonishing than the foyer, but Jubilee was a girl with a mission. Without looking around her she headed straight for the lunch buffet. So when she heard a loud voice shriek her name she was caught off guard. Before she could do anything more than turn around, she found herself enveloped in the strong arms of Rogue.

"Hey there sugah! Scott told us you were comin' today. It's so good to see you! How ya doin?"

"Hey yourself Rogue," she said laughingly as she pulled out of Rogue's bear hug. "It's great to see you too." And it really was. Maybe it was the fact that hers was the first familiar face she'd seen since entering the mansion, but she also knew that this was the face of a real friend. It did a lot to calm her nerves.

"What? No hug for Remy?" Jubilee glanced behind Rogue to see Gambit standing a few feet away, grinning.

"Ha! You won't get that lucky in this reality, Cajun," she said, even as she walked over to give him a hug.

"Ah ma petit, I see your tongue is as wicked as ever."

"Alright Remy, stop harrassin the poor girl. You get yourself somethin' to eat Jubilee and we'll sit down an' have a chat."

After they were all settled, Jubilee told her friends all about her life in LA between mouthfuls of food. Gambit and Rogue were familiar with California because of the months they had spent there after they had lost their powers, so they talked about all the places and people that the three of them knew about. Jubilee started to relax and enjoy herself.

The three of them were pretty much alone in the canteen now that the lunch hour was over, but students kept popping in and out on snack runs. She'd finished her meal and the three of them were enjoying cups of coffee when Jubilee felt the hairs on her neck begin to stand up. The temperature in the canteen suddenly dropped and Jubilee knew of only two mutants who could do that, and only one of them wouldn't be so insensitive to others. She turned around and saw that she had guessed correctly. Bobby Drake, also known as Iceman, was standing in front of the vending machines trying to choose between Cherry 7Up and Cherry Coke.

"Hey Drake, you mind? Some of us don't like turning into popsicles."

All of a sudden Jubilee found herself on the receiving end of a very furious glare. She was so taken aback that she didn't have time to respond before Bobby slammed his hand against the Root Beer button, picked up his drink and stalked out of the room.

"Jeez, what was that about?"

Gambit just shook his head saying, "Of all the times to use dat tongue of yours, ma petit, you couldn't have picked a worse one."

Rogue was a little clearer about what had just happened, "Jubilee, Bobby can't de-ice anymore. That's his second mutation. The poor boy hates it and he's really sensitive about it. It's completely changed him."

"Oh shit."

* * *

After the disaster with Bobby, Rogue showed Jubilee to her room so that she could settle in. She'd mailed her stuff early so it was already waiting for her in her room when she got there. She thought about the daunting task of unpacking all the boxes and decided they could wait for later. She unpacked her essentials and lay down on her bed. She listened to a random playlist set on her iPod as she thought about Bobby and his new mutation. 

Rogue had said that the mutation had completely changed him. Well that was obvious. She'd never seen that look in Bobby's eyes before. It was so hard. And nothing like the friendly and carefree Bobby she remembered. She knew that he could be serious when he wanted to be. She'd seen that side of him when she and Banshee had staked out his little smack down with Emma all those years back. He'd been stuck in his ice form and had wanted Emma to show him how to use his powers so that he could change back. He'd been really upset at that time too. But this was different. There seemed to be something beyond the anger. She just didn't know what. _The hell with it. I can't think about this right now. My brain's too fried at the moment to think deep thoughts. I just need to go apologize to him and then let it go.

* * *

_

The halls were quiet. Curfew had set in and it was lights out for the students but Jubilee knew that no self respecting X-Man could possibly be in bed by 10pm. If they were, then things had obviously changed a lot since she'd been gone. She left the women's dormitory and went downstairs towards the rec room. She peeked into the room and saw Warren and Paige making out on the sofa. _Ew. When did that happened? Well, well, the hayseed had obviously moved up in the world._ She'd have to grill her about it tomorrow.

She tip toed away from the room and continued down the hall checking the offices, computer lab, game room, and even the library, although she doubted she'd find Iceman in there. _Nope, just that gay guy from Alpha Flight. Wow, he's pretty hot. Maybe he needs an aide in his class? I wouldn't mind feasting on that eye candy. Alright Jubes, focus! Focus! What was I focusing on again? Oh yeah, Bobby. _

She'd searched the entire mansion, including Bobby's room but she hadn't found him anywhere. Any normal person would have given up at this point but Jubilee wasn't normal. She was jet-lagged. It was only midnight in LA. She still had a couple of hours left in her so she decided that she might as well check the school grounds. And with all the high tech security equipment surrounding the school, it wasn't like she was going to run into anybody she shouldn't.

She was half way to the boat house when she saw him. It was the darkest time of the night but even without the moonlight Jubilee could make out the sparkle of Iceman's form. He was walking back towards the mansion and what little light there was kept refracting off his limbs as he moved. Jubilee was struck by the sight of him and there was a funny feeling in her stomach. Before she could put a name to it, Bobby was close enough to notice her presence. He stopped short, startled to see someone else out so late.

"Hey Bobby," now that he was in front of her, she was a little unsure of how to proceed.

"Jubilee." He started walking again.

_Ouch. Well I guess I deserved that._ She fell in step beside him. "I was looking for you."

Bobby glanced up at that but didn't say anything. He just raised an eyebrow. _He's not going to make this easy. _This new Bobby was a little intimidating so Jubilee decided that the best way to handle it was to be her normal, direct, self. "Look, I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I didn't know about your second mutation. I would –"

"Don't worry about it Jubilee. I know you didn't know. It's alright."

"Yeah, but – "

"Hey. Forget about it. I have." He smiled as he said it, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. Instead, there was a haunted look in his eyes. If it had been anyone else, it wouldn't have worried her as much. But this was Bobby. These kinds of looks weren't natural to Bobby.

Once again, she felt the need to do something. But what? As if sensing her concern, Bobby looked away. They'd reach the mansion.

"Hey, I hope you don't mind but I'm beat…."

"Huh? Oh, yeah, of course! Don't worry about it. I think I'm gonna pop a couple sleeping pills. I hate jet lag."

Bobby smiled and said goodnight, "I'll see you later then Jubilee."

She watched him walk away. When he reached the stairs he turned back, "By the way, it's nice to have you back at the school."

For some reason, instead of making her happy, his words just made her want to cry.

* * *

"Man." Jubilee threw herself into the wooden desk chair and sighed. Whatever it was that she'd been expecting it hadn't been this. She had been a little nervous this morning when Scott told her that he would take her around to all the classes and introduce her to the students. He'd described to her the current set up under which all the students were separated into teams with mentors. However, these mentors were still their teachers and the students looked up to them as authority figures, not as friends whom they could confide in. That's where Jubilee came in. Scott felt that she was just the right age to relate to the students, but also experienced enough to give them some sort of guidance. Personally, Jubilee felt that he was putting a lot of faith in her abilities. 

When they entered the first classroom, Jubilee had imagined a scenario similar to one that took place in most American high schools. A new teacher was introduced while bored, apathetic students looked on, and thought about anything other than what was being said. She couldn't have been more wrong. Over the course of the weekend, news about who she was and her new position had quickly spread throughout the school and thus, Jubilee discovered that she was something of a celebrity. All of the students had been excited to meet her and if it hadn't been for Scott's presence, it would have been impossible to make it through all of the classes since each class wanted to play twenty questions.

She'd hardly had a moment to herself all day after that. There was a steady stream of students coming in and out of her office and everyone wanted to know the same things. What had it been like being on the X-Men? How had she managed to go to Australia with them? Why hadn't she tried to be the leader of Gen X? Did she really run with a gang in LA? And was Wolverine's hair real?

The only reason she was alone now was because all the students were required to go on a _field day...field training, or…field…something! Ah I don't care as long as they're anywhere but here. _There was a knock on the door and Jubilee groaned.

"Yes?"

The door opened and Jubilee breathed a sigh of relief as Paige walked into her office, "It's only you."

"I should be offended but since I know what a rough day you've had, I'll ignore that."

Instead, Paige settled onto the small couch that lined one wall of the office and gave Jubilee a saintly smile.

Jubilee smiled back at her ex-teammate, "Sorry about that, Hayseed, it's just been a really long day."

"I'm also gonna ignore the fact that you just called me that…this time. But you know what? I think it's really sweet how all these kids look up to you. It reminds me of the way I used to look up to the X-Men."

"Yeah, and now you just do the X-Men," Jubilee said slyly, "or rather, one of them."

"Jubilation Lee! Ah can't believe you just said that."

"Careful there, Paige, your accent's coming out," she laughingly said. And wriggled her eyebrows as she continued, "I saw you and Warren making out on the couch last night. I didn't know you were into old…I mean, older men."

"Warren is not old. He's a very mature and sensitive man."

"Yeah, I bet he showed you his sensitive side," Jubilee snickered.

"Alright, that's it, I'm leaving," Paige made to leave and Jubilee grabbed her arm. It took awhile to get the words out over her fits of laughter but she managed to smooth out Paige's ruffled feathers and get her to stay.

"So, how are you liking it, hangin with the big boys?" They were both sitting on the couch now. Paige was curled up in one corner and Jubilee had tucked her hands behind her head and spread her legs out before her.

"There are times when it's a little scary and sometimes I feel insecure as the newbie. But, it's really what I've always dreamed of. It's great, Jubes." She almost glowed as she said it. _Leave it to Paige to make joining the X-men seem like actualizing nirvana. _

"So you're getting along with everybody too? Well, apart from Warren," she couldn't help adding.

Paige shot her a warning look, "Well I don't really talk to any of them really. I mean, it's all related to training or missions and everyone's pretty professional about it. Well, apart from Iceman that is."

Jubilee deliberately misunderstood her, "Bobby's always been a prankster. It helps him deal with the stress."

Paige looked skeptical, "Does whining, sniping, and griping help him do that too? He picks fights with Havok over every little decision. It makes me wonder why he even wants to be on the team."

As she digested this bit of information, Jubilee couldn't help but feel even more concerned about Bobby than before.

"To tell you the truth, Jubilee, I couldn't believe that this was the guy you've had a crush on for your entire life." It was Jubilee's turn to get flustered.

"What? Huh? Not my **entire** life! He came in a far second to Gambit, I'll have you know! Oh, wait…damn, I didn't mean –"

"Seein as how red you've gone, I'm bettin that even though he came in second, right now, he's in first." That earned Paige what Jubilee hoped was a death glare, but only served to make Paige double over with laughter.

"Oh, just yuck it up, Hayseed."

* * *

_That's the last time I ever decide to share with people who claim to be my friends, _Jubilee thought as she locked up her office and trudged down the hall towards the canteen. Years later and she still managed to cringe whenever she remembered that night. It was one of the few times that her Generation X teammates had managed to catch her off guard and she knew she would never live it down. 

On one of their rare nights off, Angelo, Jono, and Paige had all gathered in Jubilee's room to watch some British movies that Jono felt were essential for a proper film education. They'd made it halfway through Get Carter before their attention had started to drift. Someone had suggested they play Truth or Dare, but by the end of the evening – or the beginning of the morning – even that had evolved to simply Truth.

They had all been half asleep, with Paige and Jono sprawled on the floor and Jubilee and Angelo stretched out on the bed, when Angelo had asked her who she'd had a crush on. Maybe it had been the full moon, or just her sleep clouded mind, but as she lay on her bed, curled up against her pillow, something had prompted her to whisper the secret which she otherwise would have taken to her grave, "Iccceeeeman."

Quickly realizing what she'd said, she had looked up in horror to find her three friends staring back at her in shock before they had dissolved into a fit of laughter. After that, every time Gen X happened to meet up with the X-Men , Jubilee's teammates had made it a point to remind her of her momentary lapse by hissing, "Iccceeee," whenever Iceman had been around.

"Ugh," Jubilee groaned as she shook her head, trying to force those humiliating memories from her mind. _I need a Twinkie. _

She had reached the canteen, but before she could open the door, it flew open and her nose made contact with a cold, hard surface. _Perfect._

"Jeez, Drake, you wanna watch where you're going?"

"Oops, sorry Jubilee, I was having a little trouble balancing this stuff."

"No kidding." Jubliee rubbed her nose and looked at the junk food piled high in Bobby's arms, "Did you rob the vending machine?"

Bobby smiled, "There's an A-Team marathon coming on TV in a while so I thought I'd stock up for the night."

He said it jokingly but Jubilee could tell from the tension in his body that he was trying very hard to be casual. _Typical. _He was edging around her now, moving in the direction of the stairs.

"Hey Bobby, since your marathon's not on yet, d'you want to have dinner with me? It's hard finding a familiar face around here nowadays."

"Thanks for asking, but" he said as he pointed his head back in the direction of the canteen, "it's a little crowded in there and to be honest, I don't feel up to any company right now." He looked straight at her as he said the last part and there was no rudeness in his tone, just plain honesty and a little regret.

Jubilee knew when to back off, but she also knew when to be persistent. "Alright then, but now you owe me a dinner," she said teasingly, "And you know I'm the type to collect!"

Bobby smiled, looking relieved that Jubilee wasn't offended. "It's a deal Jubes," he said, winking.

Jubilee grinned, overly pleased at his use of her nickname. _Well it's something._

But her happiness quickly faded as she stared after him, watching him quickly make his way through the throng of students heading to the canteen. Bobby was the kind of guy who loved being surrounded by people, and now, seeing him run away from them just seemed so wrong. Frustrated, Jubilee made her way into the dining hall.

* * *

The rest of the week went by pretty smoothly. Jubilee still had a lot of students just drop by to chat with her, but a few people had actually come to her with real problems. They weren't very serious issues and luckily she'd been able to deal with them pretty easily, but she figured that the students with the serious issues were probably waiting awhile to feel her out and see how much they could trust her. That was fine with Jubilee, she need a period of adjustment too. 

She locked the door to her office as she fantasized about the how she was going to enjoy the weekend ahead of her. She'd finished all her unpacking yesterday and had lazed around her room for a while when it struck her that she didn't have anything to do. She was done with school. There would be no more homework, no more late nights spent finishing projects, nothing. Sure she was working now, but really the hours were pretty easy. She didn't even have to sit in her office all day. Emma had encouraged her to walk the halls or the grounds and interact with the students so that they could grow closer to her and she could understand them better. It was kinda like hanging out with friends all day. She was free. And if she wanted to be honest, she had no idea what to do with herself. _What am I thinking? There's always the mall. _

Her decision made, Jubilee strode purposefully towards the women's dormitory to get her things. As she passed the hallway leading towards the Danger Room, she heard angry voices coming from the end of it and slowed down. She stopped at the other side and peeked around the corner to see Havok and Bobby yelling at each other while Polaris looked on.

"If you have a problem with the way I'm handling things Bobby, then go tell Cyclops – oh wait, you already tried that," Havok exclaimed sarcastically.

"Whatever Alex, you just don't want to admit that you messed up. If that had been a real situation, then half of us would probably have died!"

"Yeah and whose fault would that have been? If you'd just followed my orders from the beginning, instead of playing lone gunman then the 'mess' that you're talking about wouldn't have even happened! Face it Iceman, you were just trying to show off and ended up looking like an ass. And that's the real reason you're having this hissy fit right now"

Iceman didn't even bother with a reply; he hooked Alex in the jaw, sending him flying backwards and walked off. It was so unexpected and completely uncharacteristic of Bobby that Jubilee couldn't do anything but stand rooted to her spot even as he walked past her. He was so upset, however, that he didn't notice her. She turned back to see if Havok was okay and found Polaris helping him up. She half expected him to run after Bobby, but was relieved to see Polaris talking him out of it.

"Let it go Alex, he's not himself right now." He winced as she patted the cut on his lip.

After being decked so badly, Alex wasn't feeling very sympathetic towards his teammate, "I've been letting it go Lorna, but this is getting out of hand. I know he's having issues with his second mutation, but you know what, right now, everybody is dealing with stuff. We all have our problems. Beast and Emma have gone through a second mutation; you don't see them acting the way Bobby is. He should just deal with it. I mean, he used to be in his ice form half the time anyways."

"Wow, that's really supportive of you Havok. I can totally see why Cyke picked you as the team leader." Havok and Polaris looked up to see Jubilee standing at the end of the hallway. "With such understanding teammates, it's no wonder Iceman is 'dealing' so well." With that she turned and walked away.

* * *

Jubilee was searching for Bobby. This time she went to the boat house first but he wasn't there. She finally found him in the first place she should have checked, his room. As she approached the door, she could feel the temperature outside drop. She touched the doorknob and found it icy. She knocked on the door. It was quiet for a moment, but she knew he was in there. 

"Who is it?" he called abruptly.

"Jubilee…can I talk to you?" As the silence lengthened she could almost imagine him debating whether or not he wanted the company. Just when she thought he wasn't going to answer, Bobby opened the door. He didn't say anything. He barely looked at her before turning back into the room. She followed him in and shut the door. Her mouth fell open as she looked around in wonderment. Ice covered the walls and the ceiling. Stalagmites and stalactites pushed up and down into the space turning it into a maze. If it hadn't been a representation Bobby's loneliness, Jubilee would have thought of it as quite beautiful. She looked through the icy structures and found Bobby slouched on the floor on the other side of his bed. She picked her way across the room and sat down next to him.

"I saw what happened between you and Havok."

Bobby looked over at her and snarled, "So what? You've come to tell me off about it too?"

"What? Of course not! Man, after that, I wouldn't mind decking him one either. No, Drake, I'm here because I thought you might need someone to talk to."

Bobby looked surprised, "Oh, well, um, thanks for the offer Jubilee but you only need to play mentor for the students." He turned back to contemplating the space between his feet.

"Jeez, you really don't know how to ask for help, do you?" Jubilee had experienced this treatment by students in LA too many times for it to take it seriously. Everything about them was screaming for help, but the actual words never came out. Instead, they would only try harder to push people away.

Bobby glared at her, "Who said I needed any?"

Jubilee didn't bother responding, she just looked at him. Eventually, Bobby had to look away. He knew she was right, but he couldn't admit it. They sat in silence for awhile. The light faded with the sunset and the room fell into darkness. Jubilee was impressed with her own patience. She realized that adults could be as stubborn as kids sometimes. Now it was just a waiting game. And after freezing her ass for so long, she refused to be the one to cave first. Bobby seemed to sense her determination because he finally spoke.

He put his head back to rest against the bed and stared up at the ceiling, "I feel so guilty."

_Didn't see that one coming. _As surprised as she was, Jubilee knew better than to interrupt.

"I used to take it for granted that I could always look normal if I wanted to. I could blend in whenever I needed to and no one could tell that I was a mutant. And now that I'm stuck like this I just think about what Hank and Kurt had to go through for most of their lives. But they dealt with it. Hank just went through a second mutation too and he's still dealing with it. I should be able to deal with it. But I can't." He dropped his head down on his arms. "I just can't."

Jubilee wanted to tell him that he didn't need to put so much pressure on himself; it was too soon for that. What Jubilee wanted to do was give him a hug. But she knew she had to let him finish.

"When I enter a room, people start to leave it. Most people try to be nice about it but when I'm near them, I can see them cringing because of the cold. They can't even stand the thought of me touching them. I don't blame them." His tone changed and he looked up to stare at his hands. "It's not fun to touch ice. There's no sensation to it. It's not like skin. Nothing feels the same anymore."

Jubilee winced at the bitterness in his voice. But that was it; he fell silent again, cradling his head in his hands. She shifted her position and moved to sit in front of him.

"Bobby, give me your hands." Her own were held up in front of her.

He looked up at her and after some hesitation, placed his hands against hers. A few moments later, her fingers sparked and released little bursts of color. And then they started to glow. Bobby watched in awe is Jubilee began to glow all over.

"Yeah, it's my second mutation. I'm a glowworm," she said with a crooked smile. "But that's only half of it. Drake, haven't you been wondering how I could have sat in this ice chamber of yours for so long without freezing to death?" It was obvious the thought hadn't struck him. "I can radiate heat." She looked straight into his eyes then as she said, "Your ice form doesn't bother me." Bobby looked down at their hands and she continued, "It might not be skin to skin, but it is another kind of sensation, a new feeling."

Iceman watched as a drop of water trickled down his wrist from where their hands were joined. As it reached his elbow he smiled and reabsorbed it. He closed his fingers around Jubilee's and squeezed. Jubilee smiled back.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, places, or things mentioned in this story and I'm not trying to make money off of them. So please don't sue. Thanks. **

Thank you **so** much to everyone who reviewed my story! Your kind words were what got me through writing this chapter. Really! Truly! I can't thank you enough!

Sorry it took me so long to update but I moved and most of my time was spent packing and unpacking. Believe me, I would much rather have spent it writing!

My last note: This was supposed to be the end of the story but I was taking so long to finish up that I decided to simply post what I had and finish it up in the next chapter. I hope you like it. I will finish up soon. I doubt the last chapter will be as long as this one. Enjoy!

* * *

_Not yet. _

Thirty seconds later. _Okay, still not yet. _

Fifty push ups and only one minute later. _Still time. _

Two hundred sit ups, four wardrobe changes, and only three and a half minutes. _Dammit, enough now, I'm going. _

After one more hurried wardrobe change and deciding on a shirt hue that would bring the most color to his ice form, Bobby Drake headed out of his room with a very particular destination in mind. He headed down the stairs from the men's dormitory and turned the corner to the hall leading towards the faculty offices.

_Alright Bobby, calm down. It's only Jubilee._

He was standing outside of her door and working up the courage to go in. It had been four days since she had come to seek him out. She had been really sweet to him that night. It was probably more than he deserved considering his attitude towards everyone for the past few weeks. But she hadn't cared about that. She had wanted to help him. That alone meant a lot to him. To be honest, it had actually surprised him. He and Jubilee had been casual friends at most, enjoying a good laugh together at the expense of their teammates, and minor annoyances to each other at the very least. She had replaced him as the youngest member on the team and he had enjoyed teasing her from his new position as a senior member. It had been fun to put someone else through the grief that he'd gone through for years. But he had always tried not to get too out of hand. He knew how aggravating it could be when people wouldn't let you grow up. _I know that all too well. _

It was no wonder then, that Jubilee had been the last person he had expected to help him deal with his second mutation. And that made her actions all the more meaningful. She had been kind and understanding. She had listened to him. That was more than any of his friends had done. But now he was worried that he was going to annoy her. Since she'd come to see him, Bobby had been creating situations to bump into her at least once a day. Yesterday he'd seen her taking her clothes to the laundry room and had rushed to his room, grabbed his laundry bag and taken it down despite the fact that it contained clothes that he'd just washed the day before. It was then that he'd recognized how desperate he had become for her company. And although Jubilee didn't seem to mind hanging out with him, he was beginning to worry that she would start to see his desperation and get tired of him hounding her. Still, he couldn't keep himself away. He would take what he could get. That was why he was standing out here. He knocked on the door.

He opened the door after hearing her shout for him to come in. She was sitting at her desk practicing on directing her energy blasts. Next to her, Gambit was sprawled on the sofa, a card flipping back and forth through the fingers of his right hand as he drawled out instructions to her. They both looked up as he entered. _Aw, why couldn't it be anybody but Gambit? _It wasn't that Bobby didn't like Gambit; he'd always thought of him as a nice enough guy. No, it was the other man's easy charm and, if he were to be honest, his success with women that intimidated Bobby. _Well maybe intimidating is a bit strong, it's more unsettling. _He felt like he was a bumbling Jerry Lewis competing against the suave Dean Martin. Well, he just had to remember that Jerry Lewis got the girl too. _Huh? Where'd that come from? _He wasn't competing for Jubilee's affections. He just wanted her company.

Jubilee's voice interrupted his thoughts, "Hey Ice-cube."

Gambit looked at her and winced, "You sure like living dangerously, eh ma petit?" He snuck a glance at Iceman and waited for him to blow up.

"Hey Mall-rat. You guys busy?" Bobby didn't notice Gambit's look. He was too busy preparing himself for disappointment.

Jubilee grinned at Gambit's shocked expression. "Nah, we're just wasting some time before lunch. Did you need something?"

Bobby hadn't planned anything beyond coming to see her. He hadn't been expecting anyone to be with her. He thought that they would hang out and maybe grab lunch together. But she already had plans. And he had no reason for standing here. "Oh, well, um…that is"

"D'you want to join us, mon ami?" Gambit asked. "You can help me figure out what's got Jubes feelin so down." He got up and stretched. "It be a sad day when Remy LeBeau can't make da women happy."

Bobby seriously doubted that day would ever come, but he wasn't about to leave Jubilee alone to find out the many ways that the Cajun could make her happy. "Yeah, I'll come with."

* * *

Bobby peeked in through the glass door of the school infirmary and saw Hank working on something with a teenage boy the color of gold. Bobby remembered him as the same kid who had been helping Gambit when he had been temporarily blinded. They were talking to a young dark haired girl right now and it looked like it was going to take them a while judging from the kick she'd just planted in Hank's gut. Waiting wasn't a problem for Bobby. Lately, he had nothing but time on his hands. Besides training in the Danger Room and occasionally subbing the Controlling Natural Elements class, there wasn't much to fill up the days when he wasn't off on a mission. Not that there were too many of those any more either.

He turned away from the door and leaned back against the wall. Wearily, Bobby rubbed his hand over his eyes. He was anxious to speak to Hank but as his thoughts drifted towards his recent lunch with Jubilee and Gambit, he dropped his hand and smiled. He had enjoyed hanging out with them and had been surprised to find that he hadn't felt nearly as self-conscious while sitting in the canteen as he had thought he would. Without him having to say anything, the other two had chosen a table that was furthest away from where most people were sitting. And neither had mentioned anything about a two minute rule. Instead, true to his word, Gambit had continued trying to figure out what was bothering Jubilee as well as offering her some services to help lighten her mood, which, thankfully, she refused. For his part, Bobby had tried not to appear too interested when Gambit had asked her if her problems were guy related. He wasn't sure yet why he'd felt so relieved when she'd said no, or why he'd panicked when he'd seen the faint blush that had enveloped her face and seemed to contradict her words. What he was sure of was that those two were the reason he was standing outside of the infirmary in the first place.

Bobby looked up as the door to the infirmary swung open. It seemed that the golden boy was late to class. He was making a mad dash down the hallway and yelling into the air above him that he was coming. Emma was probably teaching that class. Bobby had to feel sorry for him.

He headed through the doors and looked for Hank. The dark haired girl was lying on a nearby table, sedated. Now that he was up close, he could see dark bruises on her arms and legs but even as he watched, they seemed to be fading.

"Hello Robert. Can I help you with something?"

Bobby turned around and saw Hank making his way out of his lab and back towards the girl. He still wasn't used to Hank's second mutation. He felt that Hank wasn't used to it yet either. He'd lost that perpetual sparkle in his eye and had become more withdrawn and less quirky. Bobby found himself missing the way his friend used to hang on the ceiling. He missed a lot of things.

"Hey there Hank. Whatcha up to?"

Hank busied himself with a tray next to the table, "Well, X23 returned severely bruised after her altercation with the reptilian race that Ororo's team encountered in Canada and this is the first time that I have managed to restrain…I mean keep her here so I thought that I would take this opportunity to study her physiological similarity to our resident adamantium laced team member. However, I am uncertain as to how long the sedative I gave her will work, that is, if I am correct in assuming that her healing factor will work the sedative through her immune system rather quickly."

"So you're kinda busy then."

Hank glanced around the room, "If anyone asks, then yes I am very busy working," he leaned towards Bobby conspiratorially, "but really, I'm just playing."

Bobby smiled and shook his head. _Maybe Hank is coping. _

Hank moved back towards X23 and continued, "So was there any particular reason for your visit, Robert?"

Bobby looked a little nervous. He still wasn't sure if Hank was the right person to ask since he had his own second mutation to deal with, but he couldn't think of anyone else. _Well, anyone else who hasn't abandoned the school or isn't dead._ But he didn't want to seem insensitive to Hank and give him the impression that he couldn't hack being a 24/7 mutant. "Well, sort of."

Hank looked up and motioned for him to continue as he concentrated on extracting a vial of X23's blood. Bobby grabbed a stool that was near the wall and sat down next to Hank, "Do you know any mutants who have extreme heat or plasma signatures that that need specialized suits to contain them?"

Hank looked up at Bobby, confused. "Well, I might. But why do you ask?"

Bobby looked away from Hank and stared down at his hands. "I was kind of wondering if you thought it would be possible to create something like that for me but that worked in reverse. You know, keep in the cold."

He peeked up at Hank who was rubbing his chin in consideration. "Yes Robert, I think that is a distinct possibility. I will give some serious thought to your proposition and see what I can come up with."

Bobby's face lit up with hope, "Really? Thanks Hank! You don't-"

_Groan_

Bobby looked at Hank and then at the prone figure lying on the table. Sure enough another groan quickly followed and they realized that X23's sedative was wearing off.

Hank's eyes widened and he exclaimed, "Oh my stars and garters, she's waking up." He then grinned at Bobby and continued, "I would dare to hypothesize that her temper probably matches our feral friend's as well, which means that I do not have much time to finish my experiment and then make myself scarce."

Bobby grinned back at him. "I got ya." He stood up and began walking towards the door, "I'll catch you later Hank."

As Bobby neared the door he heard Hank speak up, "This must be hard on you Bobby. I am sorry that I have not been the friend that you have needed me to be. It was difficult for me to deal with my second mutation but having to see you go through the same thing really upsets me. You have always been my link to humanity. It should never have happened to you and it pains me that I can not do anything for you. I'm sorry."

Bobby realized that he'd been completely wrong about Hank. He wasn't too involved in his own problems to think of him. He cared about him and he was as concerned. Bobby didn't know what to say, so he walked over to him and gave him a hug, or rather, he stretched his arms as far as they would go across Hank's massive shoulders. "Hey Hank, you wanna go for a Twinkie run after you finish?"

* * *

Bobby blew out a stream of air as he watched the dead and injured bodies of the skrull fade away as the Danger Room returned to its normal state. Alex had put his team through a long and hard session battling the shape-shifting warrior race, but Bobby couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this pumped up. He knew his body would soon feel the exhaustion that resulted from these training sessions but at the moment, adrenaline was still coursing through his body, his mind was alert and excited and all was right with the world. Bobby turned and thumped his teammate on the back, "Hey, good job today Alex," he said, grinning.

Alex turned from where he was helping Lorna to stare at Bobby. Alex didn't like being made a fool of and Bobby had been acting strange all morning. His eyes narrowed, suspicious of the other man's sudden change in attitude, and he asked, "What?"

Wolverine, Rogue and Gambit heard Alex's tone and quieted down on the other side of the room, preparing for another argument between Havok and Iceman. Bobby, however, was already thinking of how he was going to put his energy to use. He was already walking away when Alex responded. He turned back, "Hmm? Oh, good session. It was fun. Scott would be proud."

Bobby winked at Alex and walked towards the exit. "Anyway, I gotta go. I'll catch you guys later."

Alex was dumbfounded. He turned to look at the others and found them equally stunned, everyone except for Gambit, who seemed to be smirking at some private joke.

* * *

Bobby stepped into the elevator that would take him up from the basement to the main floor of the school. Along with his current pent up energy, Bobby had been experiencing a peculiar giddy feeling all morning. So as soon as the doors closed behind him, he released some of his excitement by performing a little twirl and dancing a jig that would have frightened anyone who could have witnessed it because of its complete lack of grace. He chuckled to himself as the doors opened and he stepped outside.

_Alright, first I gotta get changed. Then after I check in on Hank I'll go and see if…_Bobby's thoughts trailed off as he heard voices coming from above him. He was approaching the staircase and he looked up to see Paige and Jubilee coming down. He grinned and started to call out to her when his brain finally registered what Jubilee was saying. He stopped, frozen in place by her words.

Jubilee turned as she came off the last step "…I was totally not panting after him. And you had better get that look off your face or…" Her eyes widened as she saw Bobby and she abruptly stopped speaking. She took in Bobby's dazed expression and assumed that he hadn't noticed her.

Bobby realized that Jubilee was now standing in front of him. He blinked and focused his attention on her. He managed to force a smile as he greeted her, "Hey Jubes, hey there Paige."

"Hey Frosty! How's it going?" Jubilee asked, a little too enthusiastically.

Paige managed a small, "Hi there," before dissolving into a fit of giggles.

Jubilee glared at Paige as a deep blush engulfed her face. She tried to smile at Bobby, at the same time praying that he wouldn't figure out who they had been talking about.

"Oh, my team just finished up in the Danger Room and I was just going to go change. Hey, I've gotta meet up with Hank in a bit too so if you girls'll excuse me?"

Relief swept through Jubilee. "Yeah, of course. I'll catch you later Drake."

Bobby smiled and moved past them. As he climbed up the stairs he suddenly felt very tired. _I guess that training session took more out of me than I thought. _He scrapped his plans for the day and decided to go back to his room and relax for awhile.

* * *

In his room, Bobby threw himself down on his bed and turned on the television. As he flipped through the channels he tried not to think about why Jubilee's conversation with Paige had bothered him so much. Feeling restless and finding nothing interesting on the TV, Bobby decided to go look for Hank. He pulled open the door to his room and walked straight into Hank.

"Hey! Just the man I was coming to see! What's up Hank?" Bobby felt relieved at the sight of his friend. He didn't know why he'd become so tense all of sudden. Moving back, he invited Hank into the room.

"Hello Robert. I came by because I had some good news for you."

Hank looked excited and that alone brought a smile to Bobby's face. "Is it about the suit I asked you about?"

"Yes! Robert, I think I have found a polymer base that I can use to design the suit to meet your particular specifications. I am regenerating it in the lab as we speak. I should have enough to create a full body suit in two days and, hopefully, we will be able to test it out by the end of the week."

Bobby jumped up from where he had been sitting on the bed, "Hank that's great news! I didn't think you'd have anything this soon! I only mentioned it to you two days ago."

Hank grinned, "Well, I believe two Twinkie sessions in a row must have sufficiently stimulated my brain because not only did I ascertain how to create your suit, I also figured out how to counter Reed Richards attack on my queen. I think I have a definite chance of winning the chess match this time."

Laughing, Bobby walked towards the door, pulling Hank along with him. "Alright then, this calls for a celebration. More Twinkies? You might just figure out a cure for every disease in the world. That is the power of the Twinkie."

Looking nauseous, Hank shook his head, "No thank you Robert, how about we go for something a tad less sugary? I feel like eating two bags of really salty potato chips."

"You got it, Big Blue," he said, grinning.

"Big Blue?" Hank cocked an eyebrow at Bobby's new nickname.

"Uh, yeah, I don't know…it was the first thing that popped into my head," he said, smiling sheepishly.

As they set off for the canteen, Bobby felt his earlier burst of energy return. He knew he had a stupid grin on his face but he didn't care.

Hank looked over at Bobby, noting his absurdly cheerful expression, "So Robert, why the sudden interest in the temperature controlling suit? Is there a woman you are hoping to get close to?" Hank asked, looking over at Bobby slyly.

Bobby considered Hank's question and an image of Jubilee suddenly popped into his head. His eyes widened and he pushed the thought from his mind.

"What? No! Unh unh! I'm not thinking about a woman!" he said, shaking his head, "I just thought it was a good idea to get close to all people. You know, just generally. Not anyone in particular."

Biting his lip to keep himself from smiling, Hank simply nodded, thinking, _poor Bobby, you've fallen hard. _


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, places, or things mentioned in this story and I'm not trying to make money off of them. So please don't sue. Thanks. **

Thanks to all those people who read my story. I'm sincerely sorry for not updating. And if you're one of the early readers who came back to find out what the heck is happening in this story – thank you.

Sorry for the short chapter. I just really missed this story and had to write something.

Comments and criticisms are welcome. Enjoy.

* * *

Jubilee quashed the feeling of disappointment that rose up in her after she opened the door to find Paige. _Stop acting like an idiot. He's not coming._

"Hey Paige, what's up?" she asked as she stepped aside to let Paige in.

"What's up? Don't tell me you forgot that we were going to the concert in the park tonight?" Paige said with an exasperated sigh.

In fact, Jubilee had completely forgotten their plan. For the past three days the only thing she'd been thinking about was Bobby. Things had been going so well between them until last week when they'd bumped into each other after his training session. Although she'd thought that he hadn't overheard her conversation with Paige at the time, she was positive now that he must have. What other explanation could there be for why he was avoiding her? _He figured out that you're jonesing for him and now he's totally horrified. What would he want with a flat-chested eighteen year old when there're women like Lorna, Rogue and the half-naked White Queen walking around the mansion?_ Jubilee didn't stop to think that all of those women were currently in relationships; she was too busy obsessing over why Bobby took off in the opposite direction whenever they ran into each other.

Not that she was going to tell the Hayseed that.

"Of course not. I just didn't know you were going to provide me with an escort from my office to my room. I still have to get dressed, you know," she said jokingly as she snapped her laptop shut and shoved it into her backpack.

"Oh that's fine, I just wanted to make sure you remembered. You've been a little distracted lately. Problems with a student?"

The concern on her face was so sincere that Jubilee felt even more ridiculous about her preoccupation with Bobby.

"Oh no, nothing like that, but thanks for asking. I'm just…" her voice trailed off as she tried to figure out how much she wanted to divulge.

"Hung up on Iceman?" Paige asked, matter-of-factly.

Jubilee's mouth dropped open as she turned from where she'd been tidying up her desk to stare at Paige.

"What? Is it that –"

"Obvious?" Paige cut in, "No, not really. But I noticed how you guys haven't been seein each other as much lately. And I saw the way he rushed out of the rec room the other night after we came in. He barely stopped to say hi. Kinda strange after you consider how nice you've been to him," she finished in a disgusted tone.

"Wow. Nothing gets past you does it?" Jubilee asked, half in wonder and half wishing Paige didn't notice so much. She could definitely see her as an X-team leader one day. She turned back to her desk, her hands working to straighten a file, "Well, it's not like he owes me or anything. I just wanted to help him through a tough time. We're friends."

"You'd think he'd act the part then. One minute he's hounding your every step and suddenly nothing?"

Jubilee didn't confess that she'd been thinking the same thing, although she wouldn't exactly term it as hounding. She liked how he would drop by her office during the day or go have a meal with her, or how they always seemed to be doing laundry at the same time. It was simply that she'd gotten used to his company in the short time that she'd been back and the absence of it now made her feel like she'd just lost something very important. _Get over it already. The whole point of helping Bobby was to see him get back to his old self again – the care free Bobby who is always in the company of lots of people. _Jubilee hated to admit it, but that was what bothered her the most. She'd liked having Bobby all to herself and it hurt her ego a little to think that he didn't miss her too. _Well he's called Iceman for a reason. Move on Mallrat and stop trying to cast yourself in the role of a tragic love story. _

Shaking herself out of her funk, Jubilee met Paige's eyes with a determined look.

"Let's just forget about it. Who cares right?" She grabbed Paige's arm and headed out of the office. "We're going to go to the concert, listen to good music, meet hot guy - well you can only look - but I'll meet enough for the both of us ok? The point is, we're going to have some fun!"

* * *

"twelve," grunt…"thirteen," grunt…"fourteen," grunt…"FIFTEEEN."

With a loud groan, Bobby Drake set the barbell back on its rack and sat up on the bench. He was exhausted after a tough training session that he'd followed up with a grueling workout, but the last thing Bobby wanted to do was go to sleep. He didn't like the direction his dreams had been taking lately. Well, that wasn't completely true…

_You are a disgusting pig. _Bobby stood up quickly, grabbed his water bottle, and headed to his room. If he kept moving, he wouldn't have to think. _Keep telling yourself that. It hasn't worked for the past week has it? _

No, it definitely had not. No matter what he did, he couldn't stop thinking about Jubilee. And he wasn't thinking of her in the way he should be thinking of her. _Which is the way you better start thinking of her if you want to look at yourself in the mirror again without feeling like a pedophile. _

As he berated himself for his wayward thoughts, Bobby failed to see the object of his anxieties walking towards him until he was practically on top of her.

"Oops, sorry there, I didn't– Jubilee!" Flustered, Bobby avoided Jubilee's eyes, believing that she would somehow figure out what he'd been thinking.

"Hey Drake. You okay?" The suspicion in her tone made Bobby wonder if she'd developed telepathy as a second mutation as well.

"Um, yeah- I just- uh, workout- erm, change?" The connection between his tongue and his brain having seemingly died, Bobby felt like shooting himself for his incoherency. "Uh, gotta go ok?" And with that, he quickly headed to his room.

_Get a grip Bobby. You just can't keep avoiding her. People are going to notice. _People like… "Wolverine?" Bobby said as he saw Wolverine waiting for him outside of his room.

"Bobby. I just…." Bobby watched as Wolverine's mouth continued to move but he couldn't seem to be hear him. _Wolverine can't smell thoughts can he? Oh god. It's not possible to smell thoughts right? Right? I really need to ask Hank. He's saying something. What's he saying? Does he know? He can't know. He's going to kill me. _Bobby's eyes crossed and then focused quickly when he saw Wolverine take a step towards him as he raised his hand. Bobby took a step back and lifted his arms defensively.

And then Wolverine's words started sinking in.

"Are you okay kid? You look like you're going to be sick. If you are, then I'll tell Alex you can't come."

"A mission? Are you asking about a mission?" Bobby asked as relief flooded through him.

"What the hell did you think I was talking about this whole time?" Wolverine growled.

"Erm, sorry, I was a little distracted. I'll come. I'm not sick. I'll definitely come." Bobby would have agreed to anything to put some distance between him and Jubilee. Especially after the scare he'd just had. Wolverine would definitely kill him if he tried anything with Jubilee.

Next time on _New Sensations:_ A visitor forces Bobby to make some tough decisions.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, places, or things mentioned in this story and I'm not trying to make money off of them. So please don't sue. Thanks. **

Ok, I lied there's no visitor yet. Soon, but not yet. I won't give anymore teasers that I can't live up to though. No more betrayals.

Comments and criticisms are welcome. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

_Three days. That's enough time. It isn't too soon and it isn't too late to the point of being awkward. More than three days would seem insensitive. Then again, I don't want to seem desperate. _With a growl of despair, Jubilee sat up on her bed where she'd been contemplating whether or not to go talk to Bobby.

The team had been back from its mission for three days and Jubilee hadn't seen Bobby around anywhere. If she didn't check the computer system everyday that told her which mutants were currently in residence, she wouldn't even known that he'd come back. _Way to not seem desperate Jubes. You're a regular stalkerazzi. _

She'd wanted to go see him right when they'd gotten back but had chickened out at the last moment. Bobby had been avoiding her before he'd left and who knew whether he wanted to see her now. But then her mind had started playing tricks on her and questioning whether Bobby had been avoiding her or if she'd imagined it. Maybe she'd become the needy one and he actually had obligations to see to. If that was the case and she didn't go see him, then he might think that she was the one pulling back from their friendship. She definitely didn't want him thinking that. _That's why three is a good number. _

With her mind finally made up, Jubilee swung her legs off the bed and headed for the door. _Plus, just in case he does think I'm in love with him, it's enough time for him to think that I won't be all mushy about it. I'll just act really cool and play up the whole "just friends" vibe. Then maybe he'll think he imagined the whole thing. _

* * *

_How does he do it? I just don't understand. _Bobby Drake was lying on his bed with one arm cradling his head and the other dangling over the foot of the bed holding the T.V. remote. He'd spent the better part of three days lethargically watching various television shows. It was a well used method to numb the mind after a mission and Bobby was well trained in the art of channel surfing. That was until he'd discovered the Flavor of Love marathon late yesterday afternoon.

_How does Flavor Flav juggle so many women? I don't even know how to handle one and there he is handling twenty. It's gotta be the clothes. Either that or the clocks. He definitely knows what time it is._

There was a knock on his door and Bobby blearily dragged his eyes away from the T.V. as he called for the visitor to let themselves in. A split second later, Bobby's mind snapped to attention as he saw Jubilee walk in and he scrambled to sit up on his bed.

"Hey Frosty! How's it going?" Jubilee cheerily asked.

"Hey Jubilee," he said slowly, "Not too bad. Something I can do for you?"

Jubilee plopped herself down next to him saying, "Nah, I just came to see how you're doing. We haven't hung out in a while so I thought I'd come to see what was up."

Bobby's mind was frantically racing to figure out how to make his escape but everything that came to mind stopped just short of being completely rude.

"Oh you know, just unwinding. I've been watching some T.V."

"Watcha watching right now? Oh, is this Flavor of Love?" she asked excitedly, "I love this show! The women are totally crazy! They're freakin hilarious. Which episode is this?" she said as she lay down on Bobby's bed and propped her face on her hands.

Bobby's eyes widened as he watched Jubilee make herself comfortable and he realized there was no escaping now. _Look at her. She's so trusting. Here she is thinking she's hanging out with good ol' Bobby and all I can think of is reaching over and…STOP it! Stop thinking. _

Bobby got up from the bed and he saw Jubilee look at him questioningly.

"Just changing positions. My legs were falling asleep." He said as he forced himself to smile at her. He sat down on the floor at the foot of the bed. In this position, Jubilee was behind him and he didn't have to look at her. Of course, it didn't help that he could still see her out of the corner of his eye and feel her presence.

Bobby watched in silence as Jubilee kept up a running commentary on all the women in Flav's house.

"Hey Bobby?" she asked suddenly.

"Hmm?" Bobby could feel her staring at the side of his face but he refused to turn and look at her. If he did, their heads would be too close together and it was already taking too much effort to keep himself in check.

"What do you think about Warren and Paige?"

Of all the things Bobby was expecting Jubilee to say, that was not on the top ten by a long shot. Unsure of where this was leading, Bobby warily asked, "What do you mean?"

"You know, about the whole age thing. Do you think it's weird?" she curiously asked.

_Oh my god. She knows I like her. And she thinks it's weird. How did she guess? Did I do something? Was I staring at her? Did I stare? No she's behind me. Did I turn around? I don't think I did. Maybe I did? I don't know._

Jubilee's voice cut into Bobby's panicked thoughts, "Paige was telling me how some people thought Warren shouldn't have pursued a relationship with Paige considering how much younger she is. And, sure when you think about it…Warren's, like, one of the first X-men and then Paige…she's the younger sister of one of the original New Mutants…so that's like…"

Bobby stopped hearing what Jubilee was saying as his mind focused on his internal debate with himself. _She's talking about me. I told Warren that his relationship was a little weird. She's calling me a hypocrite. I'm a veteran X-Man. She's supposed to be able to trust me and look to me for guidance. Instead I'm abusing her trust. What kind of role model am I? Of course she'd be disgusted by me._ Bobby didn't stop to think that apart from Wolverine and the professor, there were few others that Jubilee would ever look to for guidance or consider role model material. And that Bobby was probably very far down on either list. Instead, he continued to criticize himself.

"…but then-," Jubilee broke off as a knock on the door interrupted them.

They both looked up to see Hank enter and stop, "Oh, excuse me. I hope I'm not interrupting."

Bobby jumped up from the floor, happy to have his conversation with Jubilee cut short. "Not at all, Hank. What's up?"

Jubilee smiled up at Hank and pushed herself up from the bed, "Hey Hank. We were just watching Flavor of Love."

"Quality television I'm sure," he replied, the twinkle in his eyes betraying the truth of the statement. He turned to Bobby and continued, "I just came by to tell you that I finished the suit. I've taken care of the remaining defects, so whenever you want to pick it up, just drop by."

"How about now? Can we go get it?" Bobby asked, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice. He needed to get away from Jubilee and the disturbing conversation that they'd been having.

To be continued...


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, places, or things mentioned in this story. All characters belong to Marvel. **_**Just What I Needed**_** belongs to The Cars and **_**Boulevard of Broken Dreams**_** belongs to Green Day. I'm not trying to make money off of them. So please don't sue. Thanks. **

A heartfelt thank you to anyone who read this story three years ago and has returned to read this chapter. Sorry for the extended hiatus. You can blame graduate school.

Comments and criticisms are welcome. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

"Just look at her. Throwing herself at that useless has-been like that. Look at what's in front of you, you idiot! A.J. is a great guy. Rex Manning is a loser! He won't appreciate you like A.J. He's an older man. He won't take you seriously. Save yourself the heartache, Corey, listen to someone who's been there."Jubilee said as she reached for another handful of popcorn and m&m's and nodded sagely at the T.V. playing her favorite movie, _Empire Records_.

"Don't you think that's a little harsh? Comparing Bobby to Rex Manning?" asked Paige in an amused tone as she turned to look at Jubilee. Even though she found Jubilee's comments humorous, she was a little concerned about her friend. The point of watching the movie had been to distract Jubilee from dwelling on her relationship with Bobby – or rather, the lack of it.

"Harsh?" asked Jubilee as she slowly sat up on the bed where she and Paige had been laying. "Harsh?!" she asked again as she paused the movie and turned to face Paige. "You've got to be kidding me! Rex Manning and Bobby are exactly alike. They both like taking advantage of young girls who are hopelessly in love with them just to soothe their egos."

Seeing how worked up Jubilee had become, Paige decided not to point out that Bobby probably didn't realize Jubilee was in love with him so he couldn't have done anything to take advantage of her feelings.

"In fact," Jubilee continued, "Rex Manning is still decent compared to Bobby. At least he tried to give a little loving to Corey."

Paige gave her a skeptical look. Having seen the movie at least a hundred times, they both knew that offering the virgin Corey a quickie in the lunch room probably wasn't her idea of a little loving.

Jubilee rolled her eyes as she lay back down, "Okay, okay. So maybe Bobby is a little more decent than Rex Manning."

Paige smiled to herself but continued to worry about her friend. Bobby had been acting a little callously towards Jubilee the past few days, in her opinion. Ever since Hank created that new insulating uniform for him, Bobby spent a lot less time with Jubilee. In fact, the only times they had hung out was when everyone had been watching a movie in the rec room and another time at lunch. Both times there had been lots of people around.

Jubilee had first told Paige that she was happy that Bobby was acting like himself. He was back to teaching his class and had gone out a couple of times with Warren. At Rogue's insistence, he'd gone out with her too but Gambit hadn't been too happy about that. The Cajun had been looking forward to a romantic date with Rogue.

Bobby was obviously in a better mood and Jubilee was genuinely happy for him. But, after a week of not seeing him at all, Jubilee had become frustrated. Frustration quickly turned to anger and repeated visits to the Danger Room where Jubilee beat a version of Iceman into a pulpy mess till he resembled the snowman he'd looked like when he'd first arrived at the school.

Paige didn't think these sessions were too healthy for Jubilee. She came back to her room physically exhausted but would then lie on her bed and stare up at the ceiling while Radiohead blasted through her stereo. Jubilee always played Radiohead when she was feeling down. Consequently, Paige had tried to distract Jubilee with a movie today. Unfortunately, even this reminded Jubilee of Bobby. Something had to be done.

* * *

_I don't mind you coming here/ Wasting all my time/ 'Cause when you're standing oh so near/ I kinda lose my mind. _Peep. Bobby apologized to The Cars and he skipped the song on his iPod. As much as he loved working out to 80s music, he didn't want to think about the woman who was making him lose his mind.

_I walk a lonely road/ The only one that I have ever known/ Don't know where it goes/ But it's only me and I walk alone. _

_Much better_, thought Bobby as he tried to lose himself in the sounds of Green Day. Normally, anything could be playing on his iPod and he wouldn't care because he'd be focused on his workout.

Lately, however, he couldn't focus on anything. It seemed like every one of his senses was against him in trying to remind him of Jubilee. Any time he entered a room, his eyes automatically started scanning for her. When she'd sat down next to him at lunch last week, her leg had accidently brushed against his and he'd been left wanting more contact. It had taken all of his self control not to turn toward her and breathe in her scent. _Yeah, that wouldn't have been creepy at all. _Now, even random songs on his playlist were reminding him of her.

_Get it together Drake!_, Bobby chided himself._ She doesn't feel the same way about you. She only hung out with you because she felt sorry for you. _

Bobby had arrived at this conclusion after a week went by and he had not seen Jubilee. Before he got his new suit, Jubilee would always come by his room or make plans to hang out with him. It was apparent to Bobby now that she'd only done that because she pitied him, despite what she had said.

Bobby conveniently forgot that he hadn't made any effort to see her himself. In fact, when he'd first gotten the suit from Hank, he'd made a point of actively avoiding her and limiting his contact with Jubilee to when other people were around. Bobby had been afraid of his feelings for her and hadn't wanted Jubilee to figure them out. Going out with his other teammates had been a nice distraction and Bobby had enjoyed the return to normalcy. But now that he wasn't seeing Jubilee regularly he was feeling downright grouchy. When had she become such an integral part of his life?

_When you became a pervert and started preying on the underaged! Okay, so technically she's not underage but…What am I doing?!_ Bobby dropped the weight he'd been lifting with a loud clank and sat up. _I need a workout partner to keep me distracted. _

As Bobby walked past the foyer from the gym toward his room he was stopped in his tracks by an excited squeal. He turned in the direction of the sound and saw Paige Guthrie running headlong into the arms of her brother, Sam. If he hadn't known that Sam was nigh invulnerable, he would have been worried by the force of Paige's welcome. Sam took it like a typical Guthrie and swung his sister around as he wrapped her in a bear hug.

Bobby smiled at the sight of his friend and started walk over. Bobby stopped when he noticed that Paige had been with Jubilee when Sam had come in. He watched as she approached Sam and recognized the appreciative gleam in Sam's eyes as he greeted Jubilee. Bobby was suddenly overcome with a strong desire to punch Sam in the face. Instead, he pivoted back around and stalked to his room, hoping that the jealousy raging inside of him would abate after a long shower.

* * *

Bobby wasn't the only one who noticed the look Sam gave Jubilee. Paige's mind began spinning with ideas. Maybe this was just the thing to pull Jubilee out of her funk. She got on well with Sam. If teasing banter was considered getting along well. But that was what Jubilee's relationship with Bobby used to be like. Of course, her brother was a hundred times better than Bobby. He had those southern manners after all.

Paige tried to hide her gleeful smile as she looked at Jubilee and Sam, _This is going to be perfect._


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, places, or things mentioned in this story and I'm not trying to make money off of them. So please don't sue. Thanks. **

"What are ya lookin' so intently at down there, huh sugah?" asked Rogue as she came up behind Gambit who was standing at the balustrade overlooking the foyer.

"Hm?" he asked as he turned to look at her. "My, my, you sure know how to please a man chere," he drawled.

Rogue ignored him and turned to look at what had been keeping his attention while he'd waited for her to get ready for their night out, "Hey! Sam's back!"

She excitedly turned to Gambit, "Remy this is perfect! Weren't you complainin' earlier about how no one wanted to come out dancing with us?"

"Non chere, that was you."

Rogue smacked Gambit in the chest and continued, "I'm sure Sam won't say no. That boy has the manners not to refuse a lady. Then Paige and Jubilee'll come too. We never did ask Bobby either. It's always more fun to go dancing with other people."

"Chere, there'll be other people there…"

But Rogue was already striding away towards the stairs.

"C'est la vie," Gambit sighed as he followed after her. This was the second time Rogue had invited others to what he hoped would be a romantic evening.

_Well_, thought Gambit with a mischievous grin, _just because things haven't worked out the way I'd like doesn't mean I can't have any fun this evening. _

"Rogue!" he quickly called after her, "I'll go get Bobby."

While Gambit had waited for Rogue to meet him he'd quietly watched the events unfolding downstairs. He had seen Bobby begin to approach Sam before he'd noticed Jubilee. Gambit had also observed the way Bobby abruptly turned and stalked off somewhere after the warm reception Sam had given Jubilee. It pained Gambit to witness such an inept courtship. Not that any courting was actually occurring. And that, according to Gambit, was Bobby's first mistake. The boy definitely needed some lessons.

* * *

"Bonsoir Bobby," greeted Gambit when Bobby finally opened his door.

Bobby had just stepped out of the shower and his icy form was glistening. With one hand on the door and the other gripping the towel at his waist, Bobby looked surprised to see Gambit at his door.

"Hey Gambit. Something I can do for you?"

"Yes, mon ami. You can come out dancing with Rogue an' I. She's refusing to go out unless we get someone to come. Apparently dancing is now only done in groups. Between you an' me though, I tink she's playing hard to get."

Bobby looked skeptically at Gambit. The last time Bobby had gone out with the two of them, Gambit hadn't been too happy.

"Ahh don't worry," Gambit said, with a knowing smile, "this time I haven't planned a special dinner for two."

Bobby responded with a sheepish grin, "Hey, if I'd had any idea –"

"Don't worry about it, mon ami," Gambit interrupted. "You can make up for it by coming tonight."

Bobby hesitated. He really wasn't in the mood to go out. Then again, maybe he should. Otherwise he'd probably spend the night locked in his room listening to the brooding sounds of Depeche Mode. He suddenly realized how pathetic that would be.

"Alright, but why don't you guys go on ahead, you look like you're ready to leave. I still need to get dressed. I'll meet you there."

"Parfait! See you there, Bobby," Gambit said as he walked away.

* * *

"Samuel Guthrie! Now aren't you a sight for sore eyes," trilled Rogue as she walked up to the trio still standing in the foyer, "What brings you to the mansion?"

"Hullo Rogue, how are ya? Ah'm just here to surprise mah little sister here," he said, squeezing Paige's shoulder.

"You mean, checkin up on me," Paige responded good naturedly.

Sam ignored her, "You goin out Rogue?" he said, obviously appreciating the picture the curvaceous southern belle presented in her evening attire.

Jubilee and Paige rolled their eyes at the typical male response to Rogue.

"Gambit and I are trying to round up some people to go dancing. Y'all wanna come along?"

Paige quickly realized that this was the perfect opportunity to throw Jubilee and Sam together. She hurriedly interrupted Jubilee just as the other girl started to refuse.

"Yes! We'd love to come Rogue. Right Sam?" She turned to face her brother, pointedly ignoring the glare Jubilee was shooting her.

"Sure," he said, shrugging his shoulders, "sounds like fun."

"Sam, why don't you go on ahead with Rogue and Gambit. It'll take Jubilee and I some time to change. We'll just meet you there."

Paige didn't give him an opportunity to refuse. She was already dragging Jubilee towards her room. Jubilee might not have Rogue's curves but Paige knew her friend could be charming in a different way that was also irresistible to men. With that attitude and the right dress, Sam wouldn't be able to help himself. Paige also knew that when Sam put his mind to something, few women could resist his determined pursuit.

_Jubes' crush on Bobby Drake will soon be just a memory!_ Paige resolutely thought.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, places, or things mentioned in this story and I'm not trying to make money off of them. So please don't sue. Thanks.**

"Seriously, Hayseed, you make me change one more time and you're going to be in a world of hurt. This is the third top you've made me put on."

"Maybe you should stop hanging around Wolverine so much, you're really starting to sound like him. Next thing ya know, you'll be smokin those disgusting cigars too," Paige said while nodding her head wisely as though she knew the path down which Jubilee was destined to be headed.

"Do you want me to come with you tonight or not?" Jubilee threatened. Going out dancing was the last thing she'd wanted to do tonight. The evening plans she'd made for herself had consisted of either, listening to Alanis Morrisette's Jagged Little Pill while trying to blast target discs from the roof of the Mansion, or re-watch He's Just Not That Into You. Both of those seemed better suited to her mood than going to a crowded club and pretending to have a good time. But Paige had been putting up with her sulking for a long time now so Jubilee felt she owed it to her to go out tonight, especially since Sam was visiting and she knew how much Paige loved her family.

"Alright, alright, that's it. This one is perfect. Or at least, I'm not taking the risk of making you try on anything else," Paige said, flashing Jubilee a quick grin.

"Smart girl," said Jubilee as she turned to check herself out in the mirror hanging on the closet door. Jubilee had to admit that Paige had outdone herself. She barely recognized the person staring back at her. It wasn't surprising that Paige could make a girl look more mature, she was dating Warren after all. But somehow Paige had managed to make Jubilee look sultry.

"Isn't it funny that I'm the one who taught you how to really shop and you're the one making me look sexy now?" Jubilee said laughingly to Paige. When the girls had been with Gen X, they would often go to the mall to hang out and shop since that was Jubilee's favorite place to relax. Monet would go off on her own to shop in stores way outside of the other girls' budget while Jubilee and Paige would go through dozens of stores, mostly browsing, sometimes buying, and often just trying things on for the hell of it. She had forgotten how much fun it was just to dress up. She was already feeling better about going out.

Paige laughed along with Jubilee, happy to see her friend looking cheerful, "It looks like the disciple has surpassed the master, huh?"

"Well now, I wouldn't go that far. Let's just say you've mastered the 'hottie' look," Jubilee teased.

"I sure have. There won't be a man who'll be able to resist you tonight." _Especially not Sam! _Paige thought gleefully.

* * *

_I don't want to think of Bobby Drake even once tonight. Tonight is going to be about fun. _

Jubilee's mood had improved significantly on the way to the club that they were meeting the others at. She had noticed some of the lingering glances she'd received from the men at the mansion as she and Paige had left for the night. Julian Keller had done a double take while walking out of the canteen and didn't see the door swing back at him before it hit him in the face. Sure most of them were younger than her, but that didn't mean a girl couldn't feel pretty.

And now Jubilee was a pretty girl on a mission. They entered the club and Jubilee just let the pulsing music, flashing lights and energy flow into her and smiled widely at Paige. She then grabbed her hand and started dragging her to the dance floor.

Paige pulled at Jubilee's hand asking, "Shouldn't we try to find the others first?"

"I'm sure they're already there, Rogue said she wanted to dance didn't she?" Jubilee rationalized.

Paige was about to give in when she spotted Sam and Remy standing by the bar. She had to get Jubilee in front of Sam and Jubilee herself was not going to deter her.

"Wait, I see them right there. Let's go say hi first, and maybe get Sam to come dance too," she said smiling encouragingly while hoping Jubilee didn't see through her plan. And to make sure Jubilee wouldn't say no, she turned and called out to Sam, waving so he would notice her.

"Hey guys," said Paige as the two approached the men at the bar, "where's Rogue?"

Gambit nodded in greeting and pointed to the dance floor, "Out there."

"Well why aren't ya'll with her then?"

"I'm more of a slow dance type of man, chere. That stuff happening out there, that lacks finesse." Gambit said as he took a sip of his drink, his dark eyes shining laughingly over the rim of the glass.

"Hrmph," smirked Jubilee, finding amusement in Gambit's vigilance in maintaining his suave image.

"And you?" asked Paige, turning to Sam.

Sam held his hands up in front of him, "Don't blame me, he wouldn't let me," he said, pointing his head Gambit's direction.

Paige and Jubilee simultaneously rolled their eyes and groaned at Gambit's show of machismo.

Never one to let an opportunity pass, Paige jumped in, "Well it's a good thing we're here then, Jubilee has been dying to dance," she said as she pulled Jubilee forward and in better view of Sam.

Jubilee unwittingly played into Paige's plan, "Yes! Can we finally go now? I'm losing glam here."

"Well I don't think you need to worry about that Jubilee," Sam said giving her an appreciative once over. He had definitely noticed how cute Jubilee was looking but he also knew his sister well enough to figure out what she was doing. While he wouldn't have liked anything better than to take Jubilee out to the dance floor, he didn't want to do it on his sister's terms.

"But why don't you two go on and I'll join you in a bit after I finish this drink," he said reluctantly.

"Paige! I told you these two were going to waste our time, let's go," Jubilee demanded. Her comment came out a little harsher than intended but she'd noticed the way Sam had looked at her and she'd felt a tiny thrill at being admired. _There Bobby Drake, even if you can't appreciate me, other men can_, she'd thought. She didn't remember that she wasn't supposed to be thinking of Bobby, but that didn't matter. She had been so sure Sam would come with them that when he declined, she'd taken it personally.

"Ouch!" said Gambit, making a face at Jubilee's taunt, "Sam, when a beautiful woman asks you to dance, you should never say no." Gambit pulled Sam's drink out of his hand, "I'll finish this for you," he said with a wink.

Gambit shook his head as he watched the three become absorbed by the swaying bodies. _It's worse than I thought, I tink I'll have to start a new class at the school, How to Charm Women and Make Them Love You. _There were quite a few X-Men who could probably benefit from the class, thought Gambit, Scott was good at getting women to love him, but he definitely needed to work on the charm part. _Well, at least now the stage has been set for when Bobby gets here. _Gambit smiled and turned his attention to the voluptuous bartender who had been making eyes at him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, places, or things mentioned in this story and I'm not trying to make money off of them. So please don't sue. Thanks.**

**Thank you to all the people who've read and reviewed this story over the years. Everyone's kind words have meant a lot. I'm really sorry for not updating regularly. If you've returned for the end of this story, my heartfelt gratitude goes out to you. I hope you like the end as much as the beginning. **

**BTW, for those of you who don't remember, this story was set about the time when all that second mutation stuff started, Jean died, Cyclops took over permanently and the Prof took off for Genosha. Waaay before Decimation & Utopia. **

Bobby flipped the key in the ignition, turning the engine off and wondering for the hundredth time since leaving the mansion what he had been thinking by agreeing to meet Gambit and Rogue for a night of dancing. Three people did not count as a group. In fact, it only made a couple and an awkward third wheel. Then again, maybe they had asked some other people to come along. _Perfect, I'll just be the morose drunk in the corner who'll bring everybody down. _

Switching on his image inducer, Bobby headed down the street towards the club. He tried to put his general irritation at the world aside for the night. He didn't like feeling frustrated all the time. Bobby resolved to ask Cyclops to send him on a mission the following day. Any mission. Preferably a really long one. Maybe he could make sure that Cerebra was working properly by doing an actual census of all mutants. He was sure that would take up quite a bit of time. Preferably long enough for him to get over his feelings for Jubilee. Or for her to grow up a little more so that the age difference wouldn't seem as disturbing. Bobby shook his head at himself. _An intergalactic census is a better idea. _

He could feel the music before he even stepped into the club. As he passed the bouncer at the door, he started scanning the room to locate a familiar face. Suddenly, Gambit was before him.

"Bobby! You made it," Gambit shoved a drink in Bobby's hand and began steering him towards the bar.

"Thanks, man," Bobby said, lifting the drink in Gambit's direction as he took a swig of the beer. Bobby passed an amused sideways glance at the Cajun wondering how much he'd already had to drink for Bobby to merit such an exuberant greeting. "Where's Rogue?"

"Ah she's off dancing somewhere," Gambit said with a wave of his hand in the direction of the dance floor.

Bobby started to look in the direction he'd indicated but Gambit pulled him back around, bending his head towards Bobby and whispering conspiratorially, "I've been on a scouting mission for you, mon ami. Just on the other side of you are two very lovely women."

Bobby turned to see two statuesque blondes sipping some fancy looking drinks and throwing flirtatious glances in their direction. He was pretty sure those looks were for Gambit but he smiled politely at them anyway.

"I've been telling them all about my good friend who manages a multibillion dollar hedge fund for Worthington Industries," Gambit said with a wink.

Bobby's head swiveled back to Gambit, "Remy, I'm just an accountant."

Gambit gave another wave of his hand, "To-may-to, to-mah-to…Come, let me introduce you."

After introducing Bobby to Jenny and Carmen, Gambit made his way out onto the dance floor before Rogue could see him with the women and fly into a rage. He loved it when she was jealous of course, but tonight he was playing a different game and it wouldn't help to have her get them all kicked out of the bar just yet. He found her with Paige, Jubilee and Sam. He watched her for a moment as she swayed with the music and then reached around her to clasp her against him. She looked up over her shoulder at him and smiled.

"It's about damn time you got your sorry ass out here, Cajun. A girl might start thinking you're just not that into her."

Gambit laughed and turned her around in his arms, "Chere, as I live and breathe, you know dat would never be true."

"Good, I'd hate ta think you preferred those blondes over there to me," Rogue said with a knowing look in her eyes.

Gambit held up his hands in front of him in a gesture of surrender. He quickly glanced in Jubilee's direction to make sure she was close enough to hear and said loudly, "Non mah petite, never! I was just making sure our friend Bobby would have a good time tonight. From the looks of it, I think he'll get lucky."

Gambit smiled slightly as he saw Jubilee's back stiffen. To her credit, she waited almost ten seconds before slowly turning to look for Iceman.

Upon hearing Gambit's words, Jubilee felt like she had just been sucker punched somewhere in the vicinity of her chest. She glanced in Paige's direction to see if she had also heard that Iceman was here but it was quickly apparent that she had not. She tried to continue dancing to keep the others from noticing her sudden change in mood but her arms and legs suddenly felt very heavy. Jubilee knew that if she saw him, it would only make her feel worse but she couldn't help herself. She had to see what Gambit was talking about. Slowly, trying not to arouse suspicion, Jubilee discreetly peered beyond the dancing bodies and spotted Bobby standing near the bar. There was a tall blonde standing on one side of him and another seated in front of him. Both seemed to be hanging on his every word. The one standing next to him laughed and put her hand on his chest.

Jubilee felt a sharp and intense pain that suddenly made her feel like she needed to vomit. She quickly took a few deep breaths to calm herself because she didn't want anyone else to notice and yelled into Paige's ear, "Bathroom." Before Paige could follow, Jubilee disappeared into the crowd.

Standing over the sink in the bathroom, Jubilee brushed at her eyes, trying to keep the tears from falling. She was angry at herself for getting so worked up over this but she'd been riding an emotional rollercoaster all day so it wasn't surprising that the high she had experienced while dancing made the crash now feel even worse and more emotional. _Of course Bobby would prefer those tall leggy blondes. They're more his type than a short skinny little Asian girl,_ Jubilee berated herself._ It's your own fault for feeling like this. He doesn't even know he's making you feel this way. And you can't let him know. _Jubilee looked at herself sternly in the mirror._ You need to go out there and pretend like it doesn't bother you. In fact, you need to show him how much it doesn't bother you just in case he thinks it does! _Jubilee realized she was now talking in circles but she was too emotionally exhausted to think this over. Instead, she quickly touched up her makeup and resolutely strode out of the bathroom and back to the dance floor.

"Hey! I was just coming to look for you," Paige said when Jubilee had fought her way back to her friends.

"Long line!" Jubilee said by way of explanation and shook her head.

Paige nodded understandingly.

"Where did Sam go?" Jubilee asked glancing around; she didn't want her new resolve melting before she even had a chance to put it into action.

"To get some drinks, oh, there he is now," she said, pointing over Jubilee's shoulder.

Jubilee turned around and welcomed Sam back with what she hoped was a brilliant smile. "There you are! We missed you," she said looking up at him through lowered eyes and grabbed his arm to pull him into dancing with her.

Paige's jaw dropped at the sudden change in Jubilee's behavior but because it was what she'd hoped for, she didn't question it and quickly lifted her drink up to her mouth to hide her reaction. She also tried to create a little distance between herself and the two of them. There was a guy standing near her who had been checking her out for quite a while so she gave him a winning smile that quickly brought him over to her.

Sam was also a little surprised by Jubilee's actions. He'd been debating the wisdom of flirting with Jubilee for the better part of the night and despite Gambit's obvious encouragement, he still hadn't been sure if it was the smartest thing to do. His instincts told him to tread carefully and he'd learned long ago to listen to them. Still, when a lady made her interest clear, he wasn't one to disappoint.

Bobby tried to concentrate on what Carmen - or was it Jenny? Bobby still wasn't sure which one was which – was saying. He was trying to position himself so that he could look out to the rest of the bar and try to spot Gambit. While he appreciated Gambit's efforts in trying to make sure Bobby had a good time, he would have preferred more of a low key evening just hanging out with Gambit and Rogue. Although, maybe it had been Gambit's purpose to occupy Bobby so that he and Rogue could be together.

The girl who had been speaking was not looking at Bobby expectantly. He wasn't sure if he'd just missed a question, but he opted for nodding and mumbling, "Yeah, you're right." It seemed to work because she threw herself into another monologue. Bobby suddenly stiffened. It seemed like her friend Jenny – or Carmen – was also bored of her friend's conversation because her hand was now moving down his back and dangerously close to his right butt cheek. Bobby nervously cleared his throat and glanced over at the groper. She only smiled up at him. Bobby decided that if he was going to get away with his virtue intact, he needed to do it very quickly.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I don't see Remy anymore," Bobby said, "He had quite a bit to drink so I'm just going to go check up on him really quick," he looked at the women with what he hoped was a look of concern.

"Oh, don't worry," said the one with the exploratory hand, "he's right over there."

Bobby looked in the direction that she was pointing in only he didn't see Gambit, he saw Sam with his arms around Jubilee's waist and his head bent close to her. She tossed her head back, exposing the side of her neck as she looked up at him. Bobby suddenly felt as if all the air had been sucked out of the room. He had to get out of there. No, he had to go rip Sam's arms off of Jubilee. Bobby shook his head. No, he really had to get out of there. Bobby quickly set his drink down on the bar and set off towards the exit. He heard Carmen and Jenny call after him but he didn't trust himself to say anything. He felt bile rise in his throat and a strange painful tingling in his chest and arms.

Getting out of the club seemed to be whole other problem. There were a lot more people in it than when he'd arrived and they all seemed to be standing between him and the exit. It didn't help either that he had been standing in the furthest corner from the door. As he made achingly slow progress through the multitude of bodies, Bobby tried not to think about the image that had imprinted itself on his mind. Of course, when he tried not to think of something, it meant that he couldn't think of anything else. And his imagination only took it further. In his mind's eye, he could see Sam's hands traveling over Jubilee's body. Her young body. That lecher. Sam wasn't much younger than him. If Jubilee was too young for Bobby, that meant she should be too young for Sam. _Oh who am I kidding, those few years make all the difference. _

Bobby paused for a second to let a couple women pass and suddenly he was face to face with his new rival. And there, standing next to him, was Jubilee.

"Bobby! Hey! I didn't know you were here," Sam cried happily, reaching out a hand and giving Bobby a thumping hug.

Stunned, Bobby reacted automatically and patted Sam on the back. He tried to avoid looking at Jubilee but he was finding it very difficult. She had dressed up for the occasion and Bobby couldn't help feeling jealous that it had been for Sam.

"Didja just get here?" Sam continued, oblivious to Bobby's discomfort, "Gambit, Rogue and Paige are just over there. Jubilee and I were just to get some drinks, you want something?"

"Oh I'm sure Bobby has his hands full, Sam," Jubilee said as she slid her arms around one of Sam's arms, "didn't you see him holding court with those hot blondes in the corner? They were hanging on his every word. I'm sure between the two of them they were able to make sense of all the big words," she said cattily, looking up at Iceman.

Bobby responded unthinkingly, "At least the company I'm keeping is age appropriate." Then, realizing what he'd just said, Bobby quickly looked over at Sam, "I'm sorry; that was uncalled for. I was just leaving so I'll see you guys back at the mansion." With that, he quickly brushed passed them and made his way out.

Outside, Bobby stopped to lean against the wall and calm himself. _That was a stupid thing to say to Sam and Jubilee. Who am I to tell her who she should date? And now Sam will start wondering I'm a crazy judgmental freak. _Bobby groaned and clutched his head in his hands.

Jubilee thought she couldn't feel worse than when she'd seen Bobby standing with those women but as she watched his back disappear into the crowd, she felt a hollowness expand inside her. When she turned back, she noticed that Sam was watching her.

"That was kind of a strange thing to say to Bobby just now." Sam stated, letting Jubilee know that he knew something was up but that he was not going to pry.

"Bobby knows I'm joking," Jubilee tried to say breezily, hoping Sam wouldn't notice anything more than he already had. She pulled at the arm she was holding, "Come on, lets go get those drinks." As they made their way to the bar, Jubilee threw one last glance over her shoulder.

Sam quickly caught the bartender's attention and ordered their drinks. While he waited, he quietly observed Jubilee who was standing a couple inches off to his side with her eyes downcast and looking forlornly towards the door every couple of seconds. Gone was the flirtatious minx of only moments before and it didn't take a genius to figure out exactly why.

When the bartender came back with their drinks, he passed one to Jubilee and smiled down at her. "Bobby wasn't here too long was he? I wonder when he got here," he said as he took a sip of his beer.

"About the time Gambit came over to dance," Jubilee replied.

Sam nodded. That was about the same time Jubilee had suddenly disappeared into the bathroom and Sam had gone off to get a drink. When he'd come back, Jubilee's entire demeanor had changed. Sam sighed. Obviously, that had had less to do with Sam's attractiveness and more to do with Jubilee likely seeing Bobby with the other women.

"So how long have you been in love with Bobby?" Sam asked blandly.

Jubilee's head snapped up, "What did Paige tell you?"

"It's true then," Sam said. He crossed his arms and looked at Jubilee seriously, "No one told me. I guessed. It's pretty obvious. Listen Jubilee, I don't like being used. If you wanted to make Bobby jealous, you just had to ask. I would have helped out. I'd do anything to prank the guy. But you have to be straight with me."

Jubilee looked up at him miserably, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to use you…I mean, I wasn't trying to use you…well, I wasn't trying to use you to make Bobby jealous, I was trying to use you to distract me from him. Bobby's not exactly interested in me."

"Jubilation Lee, when did you become such a moper? You are one of the toughest girls I know. Where's that smart ass mouth of yours? Are you telling me you don't know how to tell Bobby you like him?" Sam asked incredulously.

"Bobby thinks I'm still a kid."

Sam looked her up from head to toe, "I'm pretty sure he's probably noticed you're not a kid anymore."

Jubilee blushed, "Yeah okay, but I couldn't handle it if Bobby didn't feel the same way. I'd rather be his friend than have no relationship with him."

Sam seemed to consider this. Finally, he said, "Well, that's your choice but just remember, we're X-Men, Jubilee. No one knows how much time we have on earth so it's best to make the most of it."

"Now how about we get everyone together and head home? I'm beat." Jubilee nodded and Sam put an arm around her shoulders, "And if you decide you want to make Bobby jealous, I'm your guy," he said, smiling down at her.

Jubilee gave him a quick hug in return, "Thanks Sam."

"Danger Room: end sequence."

As the hologram melted away, Bobby dropped to his knees and caught his breath as his heart rate slowed down. He had come back from the bar with so much pent up frustration that he had headed straight for the Danger Room instead of the his bedroom. Most of the mansion residents had already gone to bed but a lot of the younger ones had still been hanging out in the rec room. The floor that the Danger Room was located on had been completely deserted. No on was there to witness Bobby's uncommon display of aggression. Now he was just exhausted. As he turned off the lights, he decided that he would skip a shower and get straight into bed.

The ground floor was now completely deserted and no sound was coming from the rec room either. As Bobby made his way toward the stairs, the canteen door swung open and Jubilee stepped out holding a small carton of chocolate milk. She froze when she saw Bobby.

"What are you doing up?" They asked each other in unison.

"I couldn't sleep so I came to get some milk," Jubilee answered first. She hesitantly made her way across the foyer toward the stairs as though she was afraid of him.

Even though she was the last person he wanted to see, Bobby could not help but think of how cute Jubilee looked as she padded barefoot toward him in her pajama shorts and old high school P.E. t-shirt. "I had a lot on my mind so I went to work out," Bobby explained.

Jubilee paused a couple feet away from him and asked, "Do you want to talk about it?" As heartbreaking as it was for her to be around Bobby, she craved his company. _I could be happy even if things went back to the way they were._ She thought.

"No, that's alright. I'm just gonna head to bed." With that, Bobby turned away preparing to climb up the stairs.

Suddenly Jubilee shaking with anger. "Oh right, I forgot. Now that that you have your fancy temperature controlling suit, you can talk to more 'age appropriate' people," she said, biting down on the words "age appropriate" and continued, "Why the hell would you want to talk to an eighteen year old about your problems. That's only acceptable when no one else will talk to you, right?"

Stunned by this sudden outburst, Bobby stared back at Jubilee, dumbfounded. The only word his mouth was able to form was, "What?"

"You heard me," and then, mimicking Bobby, she continued, "Oh, Jubilee, no one talks to me because of my second mutation. My life sucks. I'm going to build myself an ice fortress and live in it forever. Please be my friend." She pouted and clasped her hands together, raising them as though she was begging.

Bobby didn't have time to respond before she continued gushing, "Oh wait, just kidding! I got this cool new suit so now I don't need you. Get lost kid, I want myself some tall blondes!" Jubilee's arms were flailing gesticulatively around her, causing her to lose her hold on the milk carton which went flying out of her hand and bursting open on the foyer floor.

"Dammit!" she cried, looking at the mess she now had to clean up.

She began stalking back toward the canteen to find paper towels and heard Bobby coming up behind her. She wished he would leave her alone but after that ridiculous speech, she knew there was no chance of that happening.

"Jubilee, wait."

She tried to ignore him but he grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him.

"What the hell was that about?" Bobby demanded.

She pulled her arm out of his grasp and crossed both arms over her chest defensively, "What?"

"That right there just now," Bobby said pointing to where they had been standing. "I've appreciated everything you've done for me over the last few weeks. I never told you to get lost. Why would you think I would?"

Bobby looked at her with such confusion that she almost pitied him.

"And what do those women have to do with anything?" He asked, sounding even more puzzled.

"Geez Bobby!" Jubilee threw up her hands in the air and strode off back toward the canteen.

Sensing motion inside the room, the lights in the canteen automatically turned on. Jubilee headed for the counter where the paper towels were stacked with Bobby still on her heels.

"Jubilee, you're not making any sense."

Jubilee stopped tearing sheets of paper towels off the roll and whirled around to look at Bobby. "I'm not a kid anymore Bobby!"

"Well you're certainly acting like one right now," Bobby said, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest.

Jubilee let out a low growl and shot a stream of bright fireworks towards Bobby.

Bobby put up a defensive shield of ice, "See what I mean."

"Sam doesn't think I'm a kid." Jubilee shot back. She knew she was being slightly irrational since Bobby obviously did not know where she was going with this conversation but she couldn't help herself. She also couldn't believe how unbelievably dense Bobby was.

Bobby stiffened at the mention of Sam's name. "Yeah, I'm sure Sam doesn't. I saw the way he was running his hands all over you at the club. The perfect southern gentleman alright," Bobby ground out.

"At least he knows how to be a real man," Jubilee taunted.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bobby said quietly, giving Jubilee a hard stare.

Jubilee put her hands on her hips and raised one eyebrow as she stared back at Bobby.

Before he knew what he was doing, Bobby grabbed Jubilee by the waist, pulling her against him and brought his lips down on top of hers. It started off as a rough and fierce kiss until Jubilee put her hands around his shoulders and pressed herself against him. Then Bobby lost it. His hands went around her back trying to pull her as close to him as possible. He wanted to bury himself in her. He softened the kiss, savoring the taste of her and the feel of Jubilee in his arms. Bobby felt a warmth in his stomach slowly move through his body, engulfing him. She felt so soft and warm; Bobby wanted to stay in her arms forever. He hoped that Jubilee's second mutation kicking in meant that she was feeling the same way he was. That last thought jolted Bobby back to the reality. _Of course she doesn't feel the same way about me. I just started mauling her without any warning. Good lord, what am I doing? This is Jubilee. She trusts me to be a caring older brother and look what I did to her. What I'm still doing! _

Bobby hurriedly broke off the kiss and looked down at Jubilee, afraid of what he might see in her expression.

"Oh my god, Bobby!" she said, clapping her hands over her mouth.

Bobby winced. It was worse than he had thought, "I'm sorry Jubilee…I'm…I'm sorry…I…I," he stuttered, slowly letting go over her and backing away.

"No, Bobby. Look!" She grabbed his hand and held it up.

For a second, Bobby did not know what he was supposed to be looking at. And then it hit him. His hand was flesh and blood, not ice. "What?...How did this…" Bobby could not make sense of his reversion to human form. He felt his face and looked at Jubilee, who nodded, confirming that it too had transformed back.

"God, how could I be so stupid?" Bobby bent over putting his elbows on his knees and cradling his head in his hands. He snapped up again so quickly, Jubilee had to jump back to keep from being hit by his shoulder.

"What is it?" Jubilee asked.

He was looking in her direction but it was obvious that his focus was inwards. Bobby spoke slowly as though he was piecing the explanation together as the words came out, "A couple of years ago, I was stuck in ice form and Emma helped me transform back. She said I'd set up psychological barriers that were keeping me from changing form. I think…" Bobby paused and took a breath, "I think I might have done it again. What with Jean dying and the professor leaving us all so soon after." Bobby raked a hand through his hair and blew out a puff of air. "I guess, with the second mutation hitting so many people at the same time, I just assumed that's what happened to me." Bobby trailed off.

"Are you saying you didn't get tested by Hank?" Jubilee questioned.

He shook his head.

Jubilee laughed suddenly. "You really are an idiot," she said and threw her arms around him in a hug.

When she let go, Bobby took a step back and nervously cleared his throat, "Jubilee," he began, awkwardly, "I'm really sorry about just now." He looked down at his feet, "I'm a lot older than you and I should have behaved better. I shouldn't have taken advantage of you like that. I…"

"Shut up, Bobby," Jubilee interrupted. His head snapped up. "Do I look like the kind of person who lets people take advantage of her?"

Bobby considered this for a moment then shook his head.

"Exactly." Jubilee put her arms around Bobby's neck. Her heart was beating wildly. She took a steadying breath and, looking into Bobby's eyes, she said, "I love you Bobby Drake." And then she kissed him.

Bobby couldn't believe this was actually happening. He prayed to god that it wasn't a dream or that Lady Mastermind wasn't going to jump out from the corner and say it was a cruel trick. He had to make sure it was real. He pulled back and looked down at her, "Jubilee, are you sure about this? All these weeks I've been dreaming of exactly this but I've been worried about our age difference and–"

Jubilee silenced him with another quick kiss. "Stop talking already, Frosty. You worry too much. It's obvious you need me for all your psychological problems," she said with a smile.

Bobby laughed and kissed her again. He was so elated by his good fortune that he thought he might burst. A few minutes later when they paused to catch their breath, Bobby stroked Jubilee's check with the back of his fingers and said, "I love you too, Glowworm."


End file.
